dimanche 14 août 2011

Canada: Who likes Saint Roch, loves his dog!

The blessing of the dogs at the Eglise Saint Roch in Quebec City. Since 1998, at the Eglise Saint-Roch in Quebec City is held a ceremony unusual and unique in Canada: The blessing of the dogs by a Catholic priest. According to Ms. Magali Lavigne, director of the foundation of Saint-Roch: "The idea is to first ensure the good health of your pet that you love, give, perhaps all his spiritual potential for the year course. (...) Finally, it is to bless him for the current year and wish him all the fortunes of the world. "More than 300 people and their dogs are seated on the benches of the church Saint Roch in the company of their tomcats. In 2011, Father Jean Piché, presided over the ceremony-like individual in a calm and meditation. The blessing canine is an initiative of the former parish priest, Mario Dufour who noticed the large dog population of his town but also that the anomalous part in breaking the solitude of the street youth and individuals.

Who is Saint Roch? Only son of John, a consul of the city and a mother named Free, Roch was born in Montpellier around 1340. Orphaned young, he told his uncle allowed him to study medicine at the medical school of Montpellier was founded in 1220 and learned to use the lancet, medical device used to treat a bubo. At eighteen, he distributed all his possessions to the poors and made a pilgrimage to Rome. In 1348, he stopped at several of Italy, reached by the Black Death or bubonic plague. In 1348 -1349, the plague ravaged Paris. Rome was also affected by the bubonic plague and forced him to treat the disease for three years and to heal them by a simple sign of the cross. He heals even a cardinal.

On his return to France, he stopped in Piacenza also prey to the epidemic. It ends up being hit by the plague and hunted by those he had healed. In order not to infect others, he withdrew into the forest, near Piacenza. To help him wash his wounds and allay his fever, an angel brought forth a miraculous spring. A dog came to feed him every day by reporting a stolen loaf of bread on the table of his master Gothard. Intrigued by the ride of his dog, Lord Gothard followed him and discovered the holy man injured and nursed.

Converted by the holy man, he sold his property and took the habit of a pilgrim. At 30, disfigured by the marks of the plague, he was taken for a spy in the city of Milan, torn by civil war and was thrown into prison. In 1378, he died at Vogue (Northern Italy) in a total settlement, the Milanese having made their mistake too late. His relics were transported to the city of Venice. Over the centuries St. Roch was invoked for healing of the outbreaks of both men and animals. In his novel "La Peste (The Plague)", the French writer Albert Camus wrote that the population affected by the epidemic organized a great procession to St. Roch.

He is celebrated on August 16 of each year on the Roman Christian calendar. Since 2005, the station of Montpellier is named Montpellier Saint-Roch.

My dog, my faithful companion would you have a soul? Catholic Church gradually revives the traditions of the Middle Ages by performing the blessing of the pets. Since the nineteenth century, Spain, January 17 each, the priests bless pets on behalf of St. Anthony. Since 1993, Bishop Philippe holds a special mass for animals in the Santa Rita Church in Paris and Father Sébastien Fabre holds a special blessing of the animals in the Church of St. John XXIII Flers-en-Escrebieux in the Nord-Pas -de-Calais. In October 2010, Father Francis Xavier Amherdt, professor of theology at Fribourg University conducted the blessing of the dogs in a church in Lausanne, Switzerland. On May 14, 2011, Father Frederic Lequin, head of the parish of St. Louis King, Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or, near Lyon, conducted the blessing of the pets without exception (Cats, Dogs, ducks, horses, hens, Goldfish ...) in his church. Since the first cemetery in the world of dogs in Asnieres-sur-Seine, a suburb northwest of Paris in 1899, the cemeteries of dogs and cats and the creation of animal crematories have continued to grow in the West . The Catholic Church does moving gradually towards the recognition of the souls of animals?

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Born August 18, 1953 at Mugwata, North Kivu, DRC. Degree in History at the University of Lubumbashi. Degree in Development Studies at the University of Geneva. Author: République Démocratique du Congo. Les générations condamnées. Déliquescence d’une société pré-capitaliste (D.R.C.. Generations convicted) Publibook, Paris, 2006. L’Envers du parchemin (The other side of the parchment), novel, Publibook, Paris, 2006. Dictionnaire biographique des Africains (Biographical Dictionary of Africans), Editions Le Cri, Bruxelles, 2012. All his books have been published by NENA (Nouvelles Editions Numériques Africaines)and are available online now.